Hawaii’s expanse of ocean embraces the islands like a blanket of sea salt and waves. Some areas may be subdued by a calm, while others slosh around in sheer madness. But no matter Mother Ocean’s mood, you can always count on her aura to be a spectral blue.

Deep, deep blues color the outer depths of her sea and fade ever-so gently toward the sandy shores that yearn for her embrace. An ocean so rich with blue that it’s easy to take for granted. I think back to my trips to the east coast or even Down Under. How murky and milky their beaches were; there’s no way those waters come from the same ocean that surrounds Hawaii! But they do.

It’s almost like a dream, really, the crystal-blue waters of Hawaii’s ocean. And we’re so lucky to experience it almost any day of the year. Whether we’re taking in the sights or soaking in the sea, there really is nothing that can compare to the serenity that Mother Ocean brings.

She gifts to us her endless beauty in exchange for our promise to care for her and her beachly brothers. And dozens agree. Waves of volunteers make it a point to clean island beaches during their free time. Otherwise, inpiduals take the initiative to pick up whatever litter crosses their paths. It’s an unspoken promise that I think every country, state, island should have with the sea, especially in places, like Hawaii – where the ocean greatly defines the place and the people.